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Laura Coates Live
FBI Seizes New York City Mayor Eric Adams's Phones and iPad; Pilot Accused of Trying to Crash Plane Speaks Out; CNN Presents "Overtime with Bill Maher"; Laura Coates Interviews Major General Marcia Anderson; CNN Unveils Top 10 Heroes of 2023. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired November 10, 2023 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: And thank you for watching "NewsNight." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now. Hey, Laura.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: Hey, Abby. The weekend is finally here. I wonder if a week from now --
PHILLIP: It is calling. Yes.
COATES: It's calling, but a week from now, there could be a government shutdown. Where would we be at that point in time?
PHILLIP: Deja vu, it feels like for us today.
COATES: It does. Have a good weekend.
PHILLIP: You, too.
COATES: We'll see you right back here on Monday. Bye.
Now, walking down the streets of New York City -- imagine this -- and then you hear, move over, Mr. Mayor, we're here for your cellphones. That's tonight on "Laura Coates Live."
So, it's America's largest city and running it comes with, well, a lot of attention. Maybe more attention than New York City Mayor Eric Adams even bargained for. A federal investigation into campaign fundraising now appears to be inching that much closer to the mayor of New York. And by the way, in a very dramatic and a very public way.
CNN learned the FBI agents seized Adams's two phones and iPad, not today, but several days ago, on Monday. Sources telling us that agents approached the mayor on the streets of New York, asked his security detail to step aside, climbed into his SUV with him, and then took the man's devices. This is all happening days after the FBI, as you well know, raided the home of Adams's chief fundraiser.
Now, investigators are trying to determine whether the mayor's 2021 campaign received any illegal donations from Turkish nationals or the Turkish government. Now, for his part, Mayor Adams insists that he has absolutely nothing to hide, and his attorney is out with a statement, saying this -- quote -- "The mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation."
Now, if anyone knows the law, should be Eric Adams. Remember, he himself is a former police captain. And earlier this week, the law applies, he said, across the board.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: We got to follow the law. We got to follow the law. It almost hit a point that I'm annoying. I just strongly believe you have to follow the law.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): If the federal government came up with charges against you, or local prosecutors, charges against you, would you also be surprised?
(LAUGHTER)
ADAMS: Well, I got to be surprised. I'm the one that's leading the cry of following the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Now, there's an important sidebar we have to mention in all this. Eric Adams, as you know, is a Democrat. Now, why is that important? Well, while the mayor is so far not accused of anything, the possible legal implications, they are certainly real. And that cuts at the narrative that's being pushed by a fellow New Yorker, now a Floridian named Donald Trump. The whole federal justice system is two-tiered and it's unfair and targets only, well, him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is the persecution of the person that's leading by very, very substantial numbers in the republican primary and leading Biden by a lot. So, if you can't beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him.
It's a very -- it's a two-tier system. But it's worse than that. It's a very corrupt system.
They've weaponized the Justice Department, they've weaponized the FBI, and they've come at me with the worst indictments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: And let's not forget another high-profile Democrat who is also facing federal charges. New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is accused of corruption and acting as a foreign agent of Egypt. So, while the former president, well, he may rail against those carrying out the rule of law, the scales of justice appear to be a little more balanced than maybe even weighted evenly. I want to dive right in now with Emily Ngo, who is a political reporter at Politico. Emily is also the co-author of Politico's New York Playbook and has been covering Mayor Adams extensively. Emily, thank you for joining me this evening.
I got to say, um, this sounds very dramatic, the way that it all unfolded. Approaching him, taking his cell phones, his iPad as well. A week after somebody who dealt with fundraising for him had her home actually raided. He is now, of course, trying to distance himself from the investigation. But now that the devices have been taken, can he keep extending that 10-foot pole to distance himself?
EMILY NGO, POLITICAL REPORTER, POLITICO NEW YORK: He can say it and whether we believe it is another question. But dramatic, Laura, is exactly the right adjective.
[23:05:01]
This is a dramatic escalation into this federal investigation into the mayor's 2021 campaign and whether it conspired with the Turkish government to get illegal foreign contributions through a process called straw donors where people who are donating aren't actually those who are giving the contributions.
New York City has a very generous matching funds program and the more local donations you bring in, the more public campaign financing dollars you can get.
And as you've noted, the mayor on Monday evening was stopped on the street after a public event. He was asked for his security detail to move aside. And federal agents climbed with the mayor into his car and took his phones and his iPad, something that he willingly surrendered.
And his team has been stressing to me, to Politico, to other reporters, that again, he has not been charged or accused of wrongdoing nor has his chief fundraiser, who you noted, whose home in Brooklyn was raided on Thursday, caused the mayor to rush back from a trip to D.C. where he was set to have a series of high-profile meetings over the migrant crisis that he has said is destroying New York City.
COATES: You know, I remember that very well, and everyone wondered about what was going on. And he didn't address it in that moment. We could have sort of surmised later on. But his attorney added this, Emily -- quote -- "After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators."
Okay, look, my ears are perking up. Any idea who this individual and this person is?
NGO: Well, only educated guesses thus far. City Hall and those close to the mayor won't divulge who this person is or what they are alleged to have done improperly. They are stressing that again, the mayor acted proactively, that he's cooperating with this probe. Someone familiar with the process and how it unfolded telling me additionally that he actually turned around and voluntarily gave the FBI more electronic devices after that stop on Monday night.
But we're talking about how serious this is. They could have asked for him to surrender the phone rather than stop him. They could have subpoenaed him instead of stopping him and surprising him in such a manner.
And the same could be said of that FBI raid on Suggs's home on Thursday. They could have asked her to turn over the documents that they seized. They could subpoena her. But this is a much higher legal bar that has been reached.
COATES: Unless, of course, Emily, they believe for some reason you're not going to be cooperative, or they think that the documents that they're seeking somehow might go poof in the night. Who knows about the why and why they've chosen to do so.
But there is, by the way, speaking of this polling, there's always a poll for something, Emily, I got to tell you. A Sienna College poll shows that 46% of voters in New York City are actually favorable towards Mayor Adams, 39% unfavorable. I'm wondering tonight, given the scope of this, the drama that's unfolded, and also there has been other instances circling him, although he has not personally been charged with anything, how are New Yorkers responding to all of this?
NGO: With some surprise. But New Yorkers are pretty wary of news events like this. And he did -- he has been fighting on behalf of New Yorkers in terms of trying to secure federal funding for the migrants that have surged into the city. So, he may be popular in that vein.
But let's remember this is someone whose name had been floated as potentially a next Democratic contender for president, someone who used to be very close to President Biden, now seen that relationship deteriorate, so no longer sort of a national Democrat in that way.
COATES: Yeah, and that's not this moment. That's, of course, the way he went after Biden and also Governor Hochul at one point about that central issue around immigration. You're right to remind us of that. Emily, thank you so much.
I want to bring in CNN legal analyst as well as criminal defense attorney, Mr. Joey Jackson is here, along with former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan. I'll also add "mister" to your name, Stuart. I was just having a little affinity for Joey Jackson as well. So, you are Mr. Kaplan as well. Let me ask you here since I didn't give you respect on your name initially, Stuart. How concerning is this development?
STUART KAPLAN, FORMER FBI AGENT: You know, Laura, as a former federal prosecutor, with the execution of search warrants going up against a public corruption, a sitting elected official --
COATES: Uh-hmm.
KAPLAN: -- this is a full-blown, open, active investigation there. This investigation is at the highest level of the Department of Justice and the FBI, as well as the United States Attorney's Office, because of the attorney general guidelines.
[23:09:53]
The fact that they have verifiable, credible, and corroborated evidence, which would be necessary in obtaining a search warrant against a sitting elected official, says this mayor has some big problems and he has something, obviously, to be concerned about.
COATES: Or some big evidence, right, Joey? I mean, there is a standard, of course, to try to get a subpoena. You can't just walk into a judge and say, I'm nosy and I'd like to see his phones. If that were the case, you'd have a lot of people who could get access to the phones of their lovers, right?
But the idea here is it's an elected official. There is something about campaigning going on around behind the scenes. But it's the way they've done it, to Stuart's point. They didn't give the mayor the opportunity to hand them over. They didn't say, hey, could you please come on down to the station? By the way, you are a former, I think, captain. You know full way how to get to the stations of areas. They seize them in this way. Why do you think there was such a drastic step in trying to get them?
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, Laura, good evening. Let me put on my defense cap in addressing your question. You know, it could be that there's nothing nefarious about it. There is a lot -- there could be an optics point of view, right? The government has to be fair.
And in the event, for example, you give a heads up you can have the discussion, as you did to start your show, wait a minute, there's a disconnect. Why do they go running in to, you know, Mar-a-Lago to take Donald Trump's things, but the mayor, they allow him to cooperate, they allow him to -- when he feels like it's hand things over?
So, I think it could be an optics issue. The government, we have a very robust federal government. The FBI is very adapted doing what they do, and they made the determination that they would get a search warrant to do it.
Now, I want to also say, this is the distinction between a search warrant and an arrest warrant --
COATES: Right.
JACKSON: This is not an arrest warrant when a mayor was arrested because he's engaged in criminality. A search warrant, meaning whether or not there's reason to believe that maybe a crime was committed potentially not by him. So, I don't want to jump to those conclusions.
I'd also hasten to add that just because you have a search warrant doesn't necessarily lead to an arrest, right, or a criminal prosecution or an indictment or a conviction. So, we are away and away from that. But I think the government is investigating, they should, and if there is something amiss, they'll have something to say about it. But I'm not ready to throw in the towel, ask for the mayor's resignation, and suggest that he's guilty of cohorting with the Turkish government on campaign contributions. We don't know that yet.
COATES: I mean, Stuart, he not only put the defense cap on. He like tied it on, had a little bungee cord. He was really in the moment. I can expect and applaud that for all reasons, of course.
But, as you know and we of course know, due process is due, there is a presumption of innocence, and he hasn't even been charged. But this is now part of a federal investigation into possible illegal donations to the Adams's campaign from, as Joey alluded to, the Turkish government. So, what sort of evidence might they be looking for?
KAPLAN: Well, let me talk and let me respectfully disagree with my good friend, Mr. Jackson. And I will --
COATES: He's battering you up, Joey. Oh-oh. Battering you up. This is going to be good.
KAPLAN: I will take off my criminal defense hat. I will put my special agent hat back on. There is a technique that we will implement. And my thought process is that once these search warrants were executed against the chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, last week, there was a decision, an investigative decision to leave the mayor in play, meaning leave his digital devices in play.
Now, there's one of two things that could happen. This investigative technique was used to see who the mayor would reach out to or who was reaching out to the mayor, obviously, with respect to the information now knowing that multiple search warrants were executed against his chief fundraiser. And so, we would always be interested in seeing who would be burning up the mayor's phone or who he would reach out to.
Or given the execution of those previous search warrants, they then were able to obtain additional credible, verifiable, and corroborated evidence directly related back to the mayor, and this is why they executed this these search warrants against the mayor of the city of New York.
Now, I agree with Mr. Jackson, a search warrant is a far cry from an arrest warrant.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
KAPLAN: But let me be clear, given the rules of engagement in trying to initiate this type of open investigation against a sitting elected official, you have to have a lot of good damning evidence against that individual to be able to implement the most intrusive measure, and that is an execution of a search warrant.
COATES: Well, Joey, just the last point for you here. The idea here, not damning evidence against that, but that there's evidence of a crime could be found on a particular device in some respect. Go ahead, Joey.
[23:15:00]
JACKSON: Yeah, absolutely, and that could be the case. But there's another thing, Stuart, and that could be because when they executed the warrant for the fundraiser, they didn't find what they thought they could over should have found, and therefore, they took the investigation further by going in looking at the mayor himself.
And so, again, there are non-nefarious, non-criminal reasons relating to potentially an investigation which is active. It's concerning, but I'm not ready to say, Mayor Adams, you're in trouble. We don't know that yet. The FBI is doing their job as well they should.
COATES: Ladies and gentlemen, I had Joey Jackson, Stuart Kaplan. You've now entered the hallway of a courtroom in some city in the United States of America. This is actually what happens behind the scenes. Thank you so much, both of you. Glad you're both here.
KAPLAN: My pleasure.
JACKSON: Thanks.
COATES: Up next, he is charged with attempted murder for trying to crash an Alaska Airlines flight. Now, that pilot is speaking out about a magic mushroom trip gone bad, and how he thought that he was not actually living in reality at the time. I've got the reporter who interviewed him as my guest, next.
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[23:20:00]
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COATES: So, tonight, we're hearing for the first time from that off- duty pilot who was accused of trying to shut off a plane's engines mid-flight. Do you remember this story? Well, in a wide-ranging interview with "The New York Times," Joseph Emerson paints this -- well, it's a frightening picture, frankly, of this tumultuous flight, one where he told the other pilots, "I am not okay." That was moments before yanking the engine's shut-off handles only to be stopped just in the nick of time by the crew.
He has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder. Now, he has pleaded not guilty, saying that he had no intention of hurting anyone that day.
Joining now to discuss is "New York Times" reporter who interviewed that pilot, Mike Baker, and former FAA Air medical examiner, Dr. William Hoffman. He's an aircrew brain health researcher. I'm glad you're both here.
I'm going to begin with you, Mike, as well. God, even describing this, what a terrifying account. And he says that he took some psychedelic mushrooms two days before the flight, and that was why he did it?
MIKE BAKER, REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Yeah, it really was this gathering that he was having with friends to remember the death of one of their peers, actually his best man at his wedding. They're gathering to remember him. And as part of this, they were drinking, and someone started offering psychedelic mushrooms. He decided to take it.
That was on a Friday night. His flight out wasn't on until Sunday. You know, most of the people at the gathering, they had their trip. They, you know, got back to normal, had the rest of the weekend as planned.
And for him, he just strives just really not recovering, not getting back to reality. He felt really all weekend that he was stuck in some sort of hell or purgatory or feeling like he was dead and really struggling to discern what was real and what was not.
COATES: I mean, you actually write in your article that he said that -- and this was what he said, explaining his actions. Quote -- "I thought it would stop both engines, the plane would start to head towards a crash, and I would wake up." It took five days, he said, five days for these mushrooms to clear his system. What did he tell you about what he was thinking all that time?
BAKER: Yeah, I mean, all the time, he described really feeling like sometimes he would sense something was real. You mentioned him reaching up and grabbing the shutoff handles in the cockpit. And at that moment, he just had come to conclusion that nothing around him was real. It was all conjured up by his imagination.
He pulled the handles. But then he felt the other pilots grabbed his wrists and to the point one wrist felt -- it bruised later. And at that point, he had a sense of maybe this is real, and sort of going back and forth at all times. At times, his brain convincing himself that he's not in reality. And at times, sort of having the sense that maybe what's happening around him is the real world.
COATES: Wow. I mean, Dr. Hoffman, I want to bring you in this. It's stunning to think about this, not only the amount of time that he lapsed between the taking of the mushrooms and what happened, but what do you make of his explanation?
DR. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, FORMER FAA AIR MEDICAL EXAMINER: Well, we find that these really difficult stories that we've seen historically come up in the last couple of years are -- speak to the broader issue that we see in the data about the perceived barriers that pilots face in seeking medical care.
COATES: Hmm.
HOFFMAN: And that is that pilots are required to meet certain medical standards to maintain a flying status. If they seek care and disclose health information during their periodic assessment, they run the risk of usually temporary loss of their ability to fly, but this can result in negative occupational and social repercussions for the pilot. And so, this paradigm can inadvertently leave some pilots weighing the risks of seeking care against what it can mean for their career hobby.
COATES: Well, that almost incentivizes silence, which means you cannot get the help you need. And then, of course, you've got passengers. This is a vicious cycle.
HOFFMAN: Yeah. This inadvertent paradigm which, of course, the intention being to optimize safety, can have implications about health behavior. And the first and most important thing is that aviation is exceptionally safe. We feel that these data are less of a story about safety and more a story about a health barrier that this very unique patient population, one that we all need to trust, faces.
COATES: You know, I -- one of my colleagues, David Culver, did this excellent piece on the whole story on magic mushrooms in Oregon. I have to say, I learned so much about it in that context. But even the amount of time that it has taken, he says, for it to wear off or be able to shake this particular effect of the drug, is that normal?
HOFFMAN: Well, these types of medications and these types of substances can have varying effects on different people.
[23:24:57]
But more importantly, we find that these stories, these individual events, you know, are part of a bigger pattern that taking, you know, action after individual pilots while, you know, we need to make sure people are following the rules to maintain safety.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
HOFFMAN: You know, instead, that we should maybe be rethinking how do we meet the unique mental -- how do we build mental wellness into the aviation system of the future while maintaining aviation's exceptional safety record.
COATES: An important point. Mike, let me ask you, I just wonder, when I heard that he had told his story, the prosecutor in me went back to -- did his lawyers know he talked to you? I mean, were you surprised that he told his story?
BAKER: Yeah. I mean, as you know, it's pretty rare to hear someone charged with really significant crimes. I mean, 83 counts of attempted murder, among other crimes that he has been charged with. Really rare to hear from those types of people speaking publicly before their case is completed, gone through the system.
COATES: Yeah.
BAKER: You know, he was just really of the belief, and his lawyers also, of the belief that his story is consistent. The facts really are not in dispute here.
COATES: Interesting.
BAKER: And he wanted to convey in full transparency what had happened, what he had done, how he got to the position, and what was on his mind when he pulled those handles in the cockpit.
COATES: Mike Baker, Dr. William Hoffman, thank you both so much.
HOFFMAN: Thank you, Laura.
BAKER: Thank you.
COATES: Coming up, CNN's presentation of HBO's "Overtime" with one Bill Maher.
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[23:30:00]
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COATES: Now, let's turn it over to our friends at HBO. Every Friday after "Real Time with Bill Maher," Bill and his guests answer viewer questions about topics in the national conversation. So here is "Overtime with Bill Maher."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(APPLAUSE)
BILL MAHER, HBO POLITICAL TALK SHOW HOST: Hey, great to be back on CNN. We have Texas senator and author of "Unwoke," Ted Cruz. Okay. And former psychology professor, Jordan Peterson. And opinion columnist for "The New York Times," Pamela Paul. Okay.
So, here we go. This first one is for you. Do Republicans have a good answer to address the border crisis other than busing migrants to liberal cities? Ooh, a little dig there, Ted, a little.
(LAUGHTER)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): It's actually very simple, which is secure the border, and when you apprehend someone, send them home. When Joe Biden started, we had the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. And he came in, and he immediately re-imposed catch and release. And it produced the worst rate of illegal immigration in our nation's history. I spent a lot of time at the border. I go out on midnight patrol with border patrol agents.
MAHER: Really?
CRUZ: Many times. You should come. I'll actually bring you if you're interested.
MAHER: No, I'm good.
(LAUGHTER)
CRUZ: If you want to see --
MAHER: No, no.
CRUZ: I will tell you this: Actually, Bill, if you saw what was happening, you would be horrified because the people being abused by the traffickers, you don't understand it till you see it firsthand. And it is -- it is immoral, what's happening at our southern border.
MAHER: I take your word.
CRUZ: Okay.
MAHER: I don't have to go.
(LAUGHTER)
CRUZ: But it is easy to fix because what actually worked is we had an agreement with Mexico that was called the "remain in Mexico agreement," which says that if someone crossed into Mexico illegally from typically Central or South America, they would remain in Mexico while their asylum case was proceeding in the U.S. And the numbers plummeted. We had the lowest rate, as I said, in 45 years.
And then Biden came in and ripped that international agreement to shreds. And that's what produced now 8.4 million illegal aliens since Biden has been president.
MAHER: Boy, I walked right into that one.
(LAUGHTER)
CRUZ: Yes.
MAHER: I know -- I know you know this. This is part of your -- but, all right, let me ask it a different way. Do you think if the -- we attack it from the reverse angle, in other words, if we punish the employers --
CRUZ: Absolutely.
MAHER: And you think we should?
CRUZ: Oh, look, I am all for it. You verify. I would absolutely punish the employers. I've introduced legislation to do that multiple times.
MAHER: And what happened? Your party must not like that because we know cheap labor is good.
CRUZ: So, look, there are a lot of Republicans who don't like that. There are fewer. But I do think that the Republican Party is changing. I think we're becoming much more of a blue-collar party, which I think is a very good thing.
MAHER: Okay. This is for --
(LAUGHTER)
They are switching, aren't they? Yes, it's interesting. The parties are kind of switching like who the elitists are. It used to be the country club Republicans. And now, it's the Chardonnay sipping Democrat.
CRUZ: Yeah. MAHER: I know you've written about it. It's an interesting do-si-do, the parties do.
JORDAN PETERSON, PSYCHOLOGIST, AUTHOR: It has almost happened completely in Canada now. The conservatives are basically the working- class party in Canada.
MAHER: Right.
CRUZ: Look, the heart of the Republican Party are truck drivers and steel workers and cops and firefighters, and I think that is a fantastic shift. I think we should be the party of jobs. We should be the party of people who want to work hard.
MAHER: Okay, okay.
(LAUGHTER)
For Jordan, are men more susceptible to loneliness than women?
PETERSON: No.
(LAUGHTER)
No.
MAHER: Okay.
PETERSON: We know this. So, at puberty, women become more sensitive to negative emotion than men, and then that's permanent on average through the entire life course. And it looks like it's associated with hormonal changes. And so, cross culturally, women experience higher levels of depression and anxiety and shame and guilt, all the negative emotions that clump together. And so, loneliness is a pain-related emotion, and women are more susceptible to that.
MAHER: What do you -- everybody recognizes that women, girls, mature faster than boys. I mean, this is why they've been going out with the upperclassmen. And at any age, they usually don't want somebody exactly their age, even though this country is like crazy for age appropriate. God forbid, we go out of that.
(LAUGHTER)
But what do you think, if you had to name a number? Pick of like how far ahead the women are, years wise.
PETERSON: Well, we know women prefer men four years old cross- culturally.
MAHER: Four?
PETERSON: Yeah.
MAHER: But --
PETERSON: It's not necessarily only a matter of maturation.
[23:35:00]
It's also the case that women are more attracted by socioeconomic status and productivity than men are in relationship.
MAHER: How many years head start does a man need to match his maturity level to a woman's level? I think 40.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
PETERSON: (INAUDIBLE) individual differences (INAUDIBLE).
PAMELA PAUL, OPINION COLUMNIST, THE NEW YORK TIMES: (INAUDIBLE) a lot about women here.
MAHER: Am I wrong about that?
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL: Well, I'm --
MAHER: Okay.
PAUL: Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
I would say I have a different view of women from Jordan.
PETERSON: But what do you mean different?
PAUL: Well, I mean, the depression, anxiety, um, what else do we have? That's loneliness? Everything negative that we're --
PETERSON: No, not everything negative. Just because men are much more likely to be aggressive and to end up in prison, to be alcoholic, and they're overrepresented in learning disabilities. There are sex differences in psychopathology, and they're not all tilted negatively towards women. Definitely not.
So -- but negative emotion. It's absolutely clear that that's the case and it's -- the biggest differences are in the countries that have the most gender equal economies and socioeconomic structures. So, the differences between men and women in terms of sensitivity to negative emotion maximized in Scandinavia.
MAHER: Wow. So --
PAUL: Scandinavians are also much happier than we are, though.
PETERSON: Yeah.
MAHER: Well -- PETERSON: Comparatively, their women are less happy. So --
MAHER: I mean --
(LAUGHTER)
And I've seen those surveys, too. I find it a very difficult thing, to quantify happiness. It's kind of like that pain chart in the hospital, 1 to 10, like somebody's three is somebody else's eight. You know what I mean? How happy are they really in Scandinavia? I don't know.
PETERSON: Well, it's happiness --
MAHER: I know this is the greatest country in the world, right, Ted?
CRUZ: Amen. Hallelujah.
(APPLAUSE)
MAHER: All right.
CRUZ: (INAUDIBLE) get that one wrong.
MAHER: How will Joe Manchin's decision -- ah, this happened today, Joe Manchin, West Virginia senator -- decision not to seek re-election impact the balance of power in the Senate? I saw a lot of gleeful Democrats. We got rid of Joe Manchin. Good luck trying to elect another Democrat in West Virginia. John Fetterman will win "Dancing with the Stars" before --
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
PAUL: Yeah. I mean, he succeeded Robert Ford (ph).
MAHER: I guess he's making noise about a third party run?
PAUL: I think that he is one of the several Democrats now who have decided that something has to be done, you know, to offer an alternative to Biden. I mean, unfortunately, Jill Stein has also jumped into the race and that worked out really well last time. So -- but I think that the balance of power in the Senate is the bigger threat.
MAHER: What do you think about Joe Manchin? You must have worked with him for years.
CRUZ: Well, look, I like Joe personally. He's a very affable guy.
MAHER: But he's so much more conservative than most Democrats.
CRUZ: His non-running means Republicans will win that seat. And in fact, I would be willing to bet the Democrats --
MAHER: No, but could you vote for a guy like Joe Manchin? CRUZ: No. Never.
MAHER: Really? He's not conservative enough for you?
CRUZ: Because I served with him. And actually, he votes on 90% of the times for things that are terrible. So, for example, I watched the panel discussion you had. You were talking about Iran and Hamas. And I said at the end of our interview that I thought Biden had direct responsibility for this attack.
And you said, why? Let me give you one reason why. Joe Biden is responsible for $100 billion going to the Ayatollah. He made decision to do that. And Iran funds Hamas. The Wall Street Journal reported in September they brought Hamas terrorists to Iran and train them in Iran to carry out the attack.
And I start from a really simple principle: Don't give money to terrorists who want to kill us. And that, unfortunately --
(APPLAUSE)
-- the Democrat Party is on the other side of that.
MAHER: It's -- you went to Harvard, as you point out also.
(APPLAUSE)
You know it.
CRUZ: Listen, listen, Cornell man, you're not exactly a man of the people.
MAHER: Right. I try not to mention it, though.
(LAUGHTER)
But, you know it's more complicated than that.
CRUZ: No. I actually don't think it is.
MAHER: Okay.
CRUZ: When the Ayatollah chants death to America and death to Israel, I believe him.
MAHER: But what's the complicated part is what I was saying. The people of Iran are different than the regime.
CRUXZ: But he didn't give the money to the people. He gave the money to the Ayatollah. The person he is giving it to is the one who has pledged he wants to murder as many Jews and as many Americans as possible. And giving him -- Obama gave him $100 billion, Biden gave him $100 billion, and that was catastrophically foolish.
MAHER: All right, I'm against that. All right, you created an --
CRUZ: You've got agreement.
MAHER: No, I'm against killing Americans.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
And I don't care who knows it. All right. In less than one minute, as we're on CNN, Jordan, you created an app that teaches people how to write. Is that an effective way to teach them to be critical thinkers?
[23:40:00]
PETERSON: Yes.
MAHER: Yes.
PETERSON: The most -- the most profound way of learning to think is to learn to write and edit in particular.
MAHER: Yes.
PETERSON: Because that's how you get rid of the stupid idea.
MAHER: I agree. There are three areas. There's thinking, and then there's talking, and then there's writing. And each one makes you better. Writing, you really do edit.
PETERSON: Yeah.
MAHER: Talking is better than just -- what's just going on in your mind. That's where people get it from.
PETERSON: Other people edit when you're talking, edit you.
MAHER: Yes.
PETERSON: Yeah.
MAHER: And obviously, lots of people say lots of stupid things. But at least you have some mechanism. But what goes on in your mind -- I mean, this is the problem with people saying, you know, God talked to me. He didn't. You talked to him. He didn't answer. Those are called thoughts.
PETERSON: Uh-hmm.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
MAHER: Anyway, thank you CNN. Great to be back. Thank you, panel. We'll see you next week.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COATES: Well, you can watch "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday nights on HBO at 10 p.m., and then watch "Overtime: right here on CNN, Friday nights at 11:30.
Up next, Americans preparing to honor the nation's veterans tomorrow and the first African-American woman to reach the rank of major general in the army joins me to talk about her service and the road to further inclusion in the military. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Now, did you know that today, there are more than 18 million living veterans here in the United States of America? On the eve of Veterans Day, a day when we honor those who have served in our Armed Forces, including those who sacrificed their lives for us and our country, I'd like you to meet the first African-American woman in the United States Army's history to achieve the rank of major general in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Major General Marcia Anderson joins me now. General, thank you so much for your service. I must say, even in announcing your title, I stood up, my spine was that much higher talking to you. What a fantastic accomplishment. What led you to even want to serve?
MAJ. GEN. MARCIA ANDERSON, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE ARMY GENERAL: It was very serendipitous. I needed some science credits when I was in college. So, I ended up signing up for ROTC, which was in the Department of Military Science. So, that's how I ended up in ROTC and later got my commission and was part of the army for over 36 years.
COATES: And in that -- I mean, nearly four decades. Tell me what has it meant to you to serve that long?
ANDERSON: I made some lifelong friends. And as a person who was never on a team, I learned how to be a teammate. I learned to test myself. I learned how to be a leader. I learned to be able to adapt to changing circumstances and also to work with people from different backgrounds, many of whom I would never have met if I had never joined the Army.
COATES: When you think about the idea of inclusion and who's on that team, so important, and you've seen efforts to be even more inclusive in the Armed Forces, has been met with a lot of political backlash. Why do you think it's so important to really have representation in our Armed Services?
ANDERSON: Well, one of the things I like to say is that if you're not at the table, then you're on the menu. And by that, I basically mean you need to be in the room. You need to have the ability to share your thoughts, your experiences.
And I think diversity of thought makes any organization better, because if we're all thinking the same, if we all have the same lived experiences, the organization may do okay, but it could be so much better if you have more diverse people managing it and leading it.
COATES: You know, I read that prior to your retirement, general, you had the option for another assignment. But you opted instead to pass the baton. Why was that so important?
ANDERSON: I felt very content with what I'd accomplished, and I thought it was important to step aside and give someone else an opportunity. I think sometimes, we overstay our welcome, and I did not want to do that. And I knew that there were people serving with and behind me who would do just as good a job as I could have done in that next assignment.
So, I thought it was just important to, you know, open the door, let someone else walk through it, demonstrate that they could be successful, and just let the organization continue to move forward. They didn't need me to do that.
COATES: Well, your humility and your strength and your bravery and your service is so awe-inspiring, and I'm so glad to have a chance to meet you today. Thank you so much for all that you have done and continue to do, to lead by example. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Thank you for sharing -- letting me share my experiences.
COATES: Well, a happy Veterans Day to you and to all those who have served as well. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Tonight's CNN hero, Dr. Kwane Stewart, made it his mission to offer veterinary care to pets that belong to the growing numbers of homeless people on the streets of California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. KWANE STEWART, VETERINARIAN: I've seen people give up their last meal for their pet. And people who have $3 to their name, and after I'm done with the treatment, they will try and give me that $3.
(Voice-over): This is your partner, obviously, huh?
UNKNOWN: He's my best friend.
STEWART (voice-over): They see me with my stethoscope and my bag.
Yeah, you look good.
STEWART: This little dog was days away from dying.
And then they start sharing stories about their dog and the history. UNKNOWN: He makes me feel good. And he loves me.
(LAUGHTER)
I know he loves me.
STEWART (voice-over): I can treat about 80% of the cases I see out of a really small bag.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Oh, you do vaccines, too? Oh, that's really cool.
STEWART: It's antibiotics, it's anti-inflammatories, flea and tick, heartworm prevention.
[23:55:02]
It's all there. It's at no cost to them. It's free. I'm building a network of trusted volunteers, technicians. But hospitals and clinics, we can go to, we can call on.
Let me take a listen here.
It doesn't matter what your situation is or what your background or past is. I see a pet need, and I see a person who cares for them dearly, who just needs some help.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COATES: Go to cnheroes.com to vote for your favorite CNN hero.
Hey, thank you all for watching. Our coverage continues.
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